Hannah C. Wadle

Background

About Hannah C. Wadle

Let us never cease from thinking: what is this ‚civilization‘ in which we find ourselves? What are these ceremonies and why should we take part in them? What are these professions and why should we make money out of them? Where, in short, is it leading us the procession of the sons of educated men?“ (Virginia Woolf, 1936, 62-63) On my professional journey, I am trying to find fresh answers to Virginia Woolf’s questions - as a researcher, storyteller, educator, social entrepreneur, creative producer, artist. What are the trajectories of our societies, what are the imaginaries and practices that carry us forwards? How can we become active in shaping these trajectories together, thoughtfully and creatively? I believe that enthusiasm for innovation, critical thinking, and emotional introspection are not mutually exclusive. They need to be mobilized together. I don’t think simplicity is the answer to everything. I think we need to acknowledge that some things are more complex and that they require complex answers. And keep learning new ways of addressing them. I get passionate about projects that open doors to new possibilities. If an idea doesn't quit me over some time, I figure out how I can bring it to life. Here are some- I founded STN:ORT Festival at an old manor house in Northeast Poland to bring the diverse, German-Polish heritage community closer together. It has become known as one of the leading German-Polish cultural events in Poland (since 2017)- I produced "Sztynort 1935"/"Götterspeise", Poland's first full-length VR-movie with my company FairerTales (FT), after a play written by Jakub Maiński, who is also the director. The film deals with the Nuremberg Racial Laws and is a statement against racist ideology. The setting of the movie is the authentic building of the Palace of Sztynort, after which the play is named(2020)- I published the edited volume "Eden für jeden. Touristische Sehnsuchtsorte in Mittel-und Osteuropa von 1945 bis zur Gegenwart" together with Bianca Hoenig, a book, in which authors address the powerful force of longing and of tourism for societies of Central and Eastern Europe since the end of World War Two. The book was published with the prestigious German publisher Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.(2019)- I was the first to introduce Northeast Poland (former East Prussia and the Masurian Lake District) as a relevant ethnographic research area into British Social Anthropology - which I did through my self-initiated PhD research project at the University of Manchester.(2010-2015)